Keep Costs Down, Drive Innovation

Indeed, P&G's CEO, Bob McDonald, has made it a mission of the firm to become the "best tech-enabled company in the world," in order to achieve its business goals, Passerini says.

Even for a CIO in a small- or medium-sized firm, this kind of thinking could be exciting. The strategic examples set by big, successful companies with cash to spend oftentimes serve as jumping off points for IT leaders of all stripes. So, what's the best strategy for 2011? "What is important is to drive costs down and drive innovation," Passerini says.

Passerini relies on several strategies for innovation. P&G has employed video to help line-of-service employees in different offices around the world collaborate effectively on product development. He has also engaged in a cloud-computing push within the company to save costs and stand as a leader in innovation.